The Jenny Craig weight loss program has been in existence for over 20 years now but only gained much needed buzz when celebrity Kirstie Alley--having lost about 100 pounds with the program--started endorsing it. Since then, more and more celebrities and civilians alike have started using the Jenny Craig weight loss program to get into shape. Popular throughout the United States and Canada, the Jenny Craig weight loss program has also started to gain a following around New Zealand and Australia.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program essentially works by following good nutrition with rationed portions, as well as giving motivation for an overall lifestyle change. It provides participants with a comprehensively planned food guide to help weight loss and is specific to the fitness goals of each participant. The variety of weight loss plans available in the program is designed in such a way that a participant loses the extra pounds slowly but increasingly.

Your Meals

At the beginning, each participant is assigned a personal consultant. Each participant is then made to follow a specifically designed plan with meals coming from the company. Before reaching the halfway point of his fitness goal, every participant must purchase all his meals, prepackaged and specifically designed, from the company. Only by reaching the halfway point of his fitness goal will a participant be then allowed to cook his own meals at about 3 or 4 times per week. All meals cooked at home however will still need to follow the meals required and recipes included in the weight loss plan. In addition to the prepackaged meals, that include full meals as well as snacks and desserts, participants can also eat fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat dairy products that can be bought in stores. In addition to the pre-packaged meals and snacks or desserts, you will also be eating fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products that you purchase at your usual market.

Transition Diet

Aside from being allowed to cook their own foods, reaching the halfway point of their fitness goals allows participants to start eating regular food items again. After a 4-week period of transition, participants can stop eating meals as provided by the Jenny Craig weight loss program altogether and start eating entirely on their own again. Participants will have by then assimilated the program into their eating habits so weight gain shouldn't be a problem as long as they keep their eyes on their food portions.

Other Services

Apart from being provided with healthy-eating guidance, participants also undergo weigh-ins and counseling sessions each week. The counseling sessions are venues for motivating the participants as they strive hard to meet their fitness goals. The purpose of these consultations is to review each week's successes and challenges. She or he will assess your previous week's eating, exercise and mental/emotional progress and help you set goals and a menu plan for the following week.

Besides just sticking it out for the remainder of their weight loss plans, participants are also encouraged to apply what they have learned to their daily lives. Come the time that they get off the program, after achieving their fitness goals, they'll be able to keep the extra pounds off. Any other questions or concerns that need consultation can also be handled through the phone or email. Or should participants wish it, the direct at-home programs of the Jenny Craig weight loss program allows consultations to be done in the comforts of their own homes. Apart from addressing general questions or concerns, consultations can also be used to review the participant's weekly challenges and successes. The participant's assigned personal consultant can assess his eating, exercise, as well as emotional progress from the previous week and use this assessment to help him set up new goals and create a menu plan that he can follow for the coming week.

Exercise

The Jenny Craig weight loss program also strives to promote exercise, aside from providing a guide to healthy eating and massive amounts of motivation. The program includes having participants do physical activities that last for about a minimum of 30 minutes, and should be done, at the least, 5 days per week. The Jenny Craig weight loss program believes that not only does exercise enhance achieving weight loss but it also helps a participant stay active in general.

As with any weight loss program, diet, or exercise regimen, it is best that you consult your doctore before you start. That way, your doctor can assess if your intended weight loss program, diet, or exercise regimen will work for you.